Although sometimes overshadowed by his prolific career as a builder, Osborne had a very successful basketball career as an athlete. He was on the UBC team that won the 1931 Canadian Championships and on the silver medal winning 1936 Canadian Olympic basketball team. In 1978, Bob was awarded the Order of Canada, and in 1983 UBC named their physical education centre after him.

Osborne was involved extensively in a number of organizations. He was a founding member of the Canadian Association of Sports Sciences, BC Amateur Sports Council, Vancouver Field Sports Federation, and Vancouver Olympic Club. As President, he served in the Amateur Athletic Union of Canada (and the BC branch), Evergreen Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Canada West Universities Athletic Association, and BC Recreation Association. His career as a chairman included the Athletics Awards Selection Committee of BC and BC Centennial Committee on Sports Activities.

On the Olympic front, he coached the Canadian Men’s basketball team in 1948 (London) and managed the Canadian track & field team in 1956 (Melbourne). He served on the Canadian Olympic Association’s Board of Directors beginning in 1969, and was Vice-President of the organization from 1969-81.

He was a member of the Organizing Committee of the 1954 Vancouver British Empire and Commonwealth Games. He also served as Vice-President/Assistant General Manager of the BEG Society for the 1954 Vancouver Games and as General manager for the Canadian team in the 1958 Cardiff Games. He was later the Honourary Vice-President of the Canadian Commonwealth Games Association of Canada.

He was the General Manager of the 1959 and 1963 Canadian Pan American Games teams in Chicago and Sao Paulo, respectively, and a Liaison Member of the 1967 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg. He was the Canadian team Chef de Mission for the 1971 and 1975 Pan Am Games in Cali, Colombia and Mexico City, respectively, and an Executive Member of the Pan Am Sports Organization from 1971-1982. He was made an Honourary Life Member of Pan American Sports Organization (PASO)in 1982.

Osborne is also inducted in the UBC Sports Hall of Fame. For his UBC biography, please visit www.ubcsportshalloffame.com